Competition
by ncis.is.the.best
Summary: A new addition to the NCIS team makes for some interesting chemistry, jealousy and a kidnapping. TIVA.
1. New Guy

Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS.

This is a trial chapter I guess.

Tell me what you think and if I should keep going with this.

Enjoy.

And please review.

* * *

The elevator doors opened with the usual 'ding' sound and Tony and Ziva walked out, bickering as usual. McGee was already seated at his desk.

"I'm just saying that you should at least watch classic movies, Zee-Vah."

Ziva sighed. "I like books better."

Tony shook his head as they walked into the 'bullpen'. "Books? I didn't pick you for the geek type, Ziva." Tony looked up and Ziva was gone, "Ziva?" he said.

"Could a 'geek' kill you with a paperclip?" Ziva hissed in his ear from behind and held a paperclip to his throat threateningly.

Tony gulped. "I don't know. You'll have to ask McGee."

"I'm right here, you know?" McGee muttered.

Ziva ignored him and was about to reply to Tony when a man walked into the bullpen.

"Oh." He stammered, taking in Ziva's position over Tony, "Am I interrupting something."

Ziva stood up quickly and looked at the man. He was about thirty with light brown hair and green eyes. Ziva smiled in approval. He was _very_ attractive. "Not at all." She said and stepped out from behind Tony's desk. "I was just about to kill my partner here." She said calmly, "but I can do it later."

Tony scoffed. "You would _not_ be able to kill-"

Ziva threw him a meaningful look and pulled her knife out, examining it. "Yes, Tony?"

Tony closed his mouth and turned to the man that was still standing there, rather awkwardly. "Can I help you?"

The man took a step forward. "I'm Special Agent Lachlan Reynolds." He said, "Is Special Agent Gibbs here?"

Tony stood up. "He's stepped out for a moment. Is there anything _I_ can help you with?"

Lachlan thought for a moment. "No." he said decidedly, "Do you know when Agent Gibbs will be back?"

The elevator doors 'dinged' and Tony suppressed a smile. "Right now."

Lachlan turned around and came face-to-face with Gibbs.

"Can I help you?" Gibbs asked.

Lachlan put his hand out. "I'm Special Agent Lachlan Reynolds." He said as Gibbs shook his hand, "I have been informed that I will be joining your team."

Gibbs dropped his hand immediately and walked to the director's office without another word.

Lachlan turned to Tony and Ziva. "What did I do?" he asked confusedly.

Ziva shrugged and sat behind her desk, leaning back in her chair. "Nothing."

Lachlan looked even more confused. "But-"

Tony put his hand up. "Seriously. I wouldn't worry." He said, "It's probably better if you _don't_ work for our team anyway." He said, gesturing to Ziva, "You saw her try to kill me before, right?"

Ziva laughed. "I could never kill you, Tony."

Tony was surprised. "Really?"

"Yes." Ziva said, "because then I would have to go on the run." She thought for a moment, "and that really is_ not_ something I want to have to do again." She said, still playing with her knife.

Tony feigned hurt. "That hurts, Ziva."

Ziva threw her knife so it dug into the wall just above Tony's head. "Although," she said thoughtfully, "It would not be too difficult to hide your body."

Tony pulled the knife out of the wall and tried to get his heart rate back to normal. "You could have killed me! What if I had moved?"

Ziva laughed. "Good thing you did not, yes?"

Tony stabbed the knife into his desk. "Crazy chick." He muttered.

Lachlan chose this time to talk, after observing the scene that had just unfolded. He did not seem at all fazed by what he had just seen. "Where did you learn that?" he asked curiously.

"What?" Ziva asked.

"To throw that knife so perfectly."

Ziva laughed. "I do not think you want to know."

Lachlan leaned over her desk. "Oh, I think I do."

Ziva leaned forward so that she was face to face with Lachlan. "Mossad." She said simply, expecting Lachlan to be deterred.

Lachlan smiled. He had such a good smile. "That's interesting." He said.

Tony walked over to Ziva's desk. "I think now is a good time to have a chat about rule twelve." He said, trying to keep the jealousy out of his voice.

Lachlan looked up. "Rule twelve?"

Ziva leant back in her chair again. "Never date a co-worker."

Lachlan observed Ziva. "That's an interesting rule." He said thoughtfully and looked fom Tony to Ziva, "Did you two have some past-"

Ziva laughed. "I do not think so."

Tony frowned. "Don't act like you haven't thought about it, Zee-Vah."

Ziva grinned. "Oh, of course I have." She mocked, looking Tony up and down.

Gibbs walked past and slapped Ziva and Tony on the back of the head.

Tony rubbed the back of his head. "Thank you boss."

Lachlan turned to Gibbs. "Am I in?"

"Apparently." Gibbs said shortly.

Tony and Ziva looked at each other, then to McGee who was still sitting at his desk. It was obvious that Gibbs was not happy about this.

Gibbs looked up from his desk. "Take the desk at the end."

Yep. Gibbs was definitely not happy about this.

* * *

A/N: What do you think? Should I keep going? Please review.


	2. Gear Up

Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS. Yet.

This is a short chapter, I know, but I will post the next one soon.

It will be at the crime scene.

Enjoy.

Please review and thanks to all those that have already reviewed.

Tell me what you think.

* * *

"So, Zee-Vah," Tony said leaning on his desk, "what do you think of the new guy."

Lachlan sighed in exasperation and stood up from his desk. "New guy has a name."

Ziva ignored Lachlan and sighed. "I do not know Tony. He has only been here for an hour."

Tony grinned. "Yes, but you have spent at least ninety percent of that time staring at him."

Ziva looked up lazily. "Jealous, Tony?"

Tony scoffed. "Me, jealous of him? I don't think so."

Lachlan walked over to Tony and Ziva's desks. "I'm right here, you know?"

Ziva ignored him again. "If you say so, Tony."

Tony got up and walked over to Ziva's desk. "I'm Senior Field Agent. He's a Probie. I am not jealous of him."

Ziva laughed. "For someone who is not jealous, you are sounding _very_ jealous." She leant in closer to Tony.

"Oh really," Tony leaned further over Ziva's desk so their noses were almost touching, "well, trust me. I have no reason to be jealous of _that_." He jerked his head in Lachlan's direction.

Lachlan sighed loudly. "Still here!"

Tony and Ziva both turned toward him at the same time. "We know!"

Lachlan put his hand to his chin thoughtfully. "Are you _sure_ you two had nothing going on in the past?"

Ziva laughed. "I am sure. What about you, Tony?"

Tony scratched his head in mock-thought. "Now that you mention it, there was that undercover mission."

Lachlan looked up quickly. "What undercover mission?"

Tony grinned. "Oh, it was nothing. We just spent a few days having-" Tony was silenced by a slap to the head. "Thank you, boss."

Gibbs walked to his desk and opened the drawer. "Gear up," he said, grabbing his gun and badge. Tony and Ziva hurried to comply.

"What about me?" Lachlan asked.

Gibbs stared at Lachlan.

"I mean," Lachlan quickly corrected himself, "am I coming?"

Gibbs sighed and walked to the elevator with out another word.

"He means 'yes', Reynolds." Tony said, following Gibbs. Ziva and McGee grabbed their weapons and made their way to the elevator. Lachlan quickly took some stuff from his desk and stepped into the elevator, behind Ziva and McGee.

Gibbs allowed a small smile and pulled out the keys to the truck. "Why don't you drive, Ziva?"

Ziva smiled. "I would love to."

* * *

A/N: Tell me what you think. Please review. Thanks.

* * *


	3. Gut Feeling

Disclaimer: Don't own NCIS. Unfortunately.

So this is chapter 3.

Some good stuff will happen soon. I promise.

Enjoy

And please review.

* * *

"You-" Lachlan paused to throw up yet again, "-are insane."

Ziva leant on the hood of the truck looking amused. "I know." She said simply and smiled.

Tony put his hands in the air as he got out of the truck, grinning like a child. "I made it the _entire_ way without throwing up!"

Lachlan looked up and wiped his mouth. "How long did that take?"

Tony grinned again. "Three years."

Lachlan groaned. "Fantastic."

Ziva laughed. "Is my driving really _that_ bad?"

Everyone turned to face her. "Yes!"

"Oh. Okay." Ziva said, shrugging indifferently.

McGee hopped out of the truck and threw up.

"Apparently McBarf-Bag isn't quite used to it yet." Tony laughed.

Lachlan seemed to have recovered from his encounter with Ziva's driving. He grinned slyly. "So, what _did_ happen on this undercover mission?"

Ziva rolled her eyes. "It was nothing."

Lachlan grinned. "Doesn't sound like nothing."

"We were undercover." Ziva emphasized, "we were pretending to be people that we were not." Ziva was sure he saw a flicker of hurt on Tony's face, but it was quickly replaced with a playful smile and Ziva wondered if it was really there at all.

"You seemed to enjoy it anyway, Ziva." Tony grinned.

"Oh yeah." Ziva said sarcastically, "spending a weekend with you and your movie quotes is really my cup of coffee."

Tony sighed. "Tea, Ziva. Cup of tea."

Lachlan looked confused and Tony quickly explained. "It's this thing she has. Stuffs up idioms and things. She also needs to learn to use contractions, right Ziva." He gave a knowing glance at Ziva.

"I speak more languages than you can name, Tony. It is okay for me to mess up once in a while and I do not need to learn contractions. It is not important."

"Not important?" Tony spluttered, "it's so much easier-"

Tony was cut off by a slap to the head. "Are you going to process the crime scene or do I have to slap you all the way there?" Gibbs said.

Tony looked down sheepishly. "Of course not, boss." He said as Gibbs made his way under the yellow tape of the crime scene.

Ziva laughed and grabbed the camera out of the truck. "I'm taking pictures."

Tony sighed. "I guess I'm collecting evidence." He smiled, "that leaves sketching to you, Probalicious."

McGee sighed. "I hate sketching."

"I know." Tony laughed.

Lachlan spoke up. "What am I doing?"

Tony looked up from what he was doing. "Uh, you can watch, I guess."

Lachlan rolled his eyes. "I've worked crime scenes before."

Tony stared at him. "Yes, but you've never worked a crime scene with Gibbs. So watch and learn."

Lachlan sighed. "Fine."

* * *

"T.O.D., Duck?" Gibbs asked, walking into the room with the body. It was a female in her late twenties. She had dark brown hair and tanned skin.

"Between five and six hours ago, Jethro." Ducky said, pulling out the liver probe, "and before you ask, I would guess that she died of asphyxiation, judging by the burst blood vessels in her eyes and slight blue tinge of the lips."

"Thanks, Duck." Gibbs muttered as the rest of the team walked in. Ziva immediately began taking photos and McGee started sketching. Tony was gathering evidence. Then there was Lachlan. Gibbs sighed. They didn't need another member on the team and although Lachlan seemed smart and, according to reports, fairly good in the field, there was something else. Gibbs' gut was telling him to be wary of Lachlan, because there was something about him that seemed odd. _I'm going to keep an eye on him._ Gibbs thought and turned back to the crime scene.

* * *

A/N: What do you think. Please review and tell me. Thanks.


	4. Be Careful

Disclaimer: NCIS is not mine. If there were, there would be TIVA.

So, this chapter starts to get into the story a bit more.

Enjoy.

And please review if you want a fast update

* * *

"David, my office now!" Gibbs yelled, getting up from his desk and making his way to the elevator. Ziva hurried to comply. She stepped into the elevator just before the doors closed.

"What is it?" Ziva asked.

Gibbs flicked the emergency switch and the elevator dimmed. "Remember rule twelve?"

Ziva nodded slowly. "Yes…"

Gibbs looked her in the eyes. "Forget it."

Ziva looked up in shock. "What?"

"I don't trust Lachlan." Gibbs began, "I want you to get close to him. Maybe get some information"

Ziva looked skeptical. "Why?"

"Gut feeling."

Ziva shook her head. "Is this an order?"

Gibbs thought for a moment. "If it needs to be." He said finally.

Ziva nodded. "Alright then." She said and faced the front of the elevator once again.

Gibbs smiled and flicked the emergency switch. The elevator lights went on and it began moving again. "Oh, and don't tell anyone. This is between you and me."

Ziva began to step out of the elevator as the doors opened. "Of course." She could be an excellent actor when she wanted to.

"And Ziva?" Gibbs said, grabbing her arm.

Ziva turned around questioningly. "Yes?"

"Be careful."

Ziva laughed. "I think I will be able to handle it."

She composed her face into a perfect mixture of sadness and anger as she stepped out of the elevator and into the bullpen.

* * *

"What do you think they're doing in there?" McGee asked as Ziva followed Gibbs into the elevator.

"What do you mean?" Lachlan asked curiously.

"In the elevator. It's his office."

"The elevator?" Lachlan asked incredulously.

"Yep." McGee replied, "he flicks the emergency switch. It's usually something bad."

Lachlan nodded, confusion still evident on his face. "Oh."

"So what do you think is going on?" McGee asked again.

Tony shrugged. "Ziva probably killed someone again."

McGee shook his head. "Seriously, Tony."

Tony looked at McGee. "I _was_ being serious!"

Lachlan spoke up. "Is she really as dangerous as you all say she is?"

McGee and Tony laughed. "Oh yeah."

"You saw her drive before, right?" McGee said, feeling sick at the thought.

"And she's a Mossad assassin." Tony added.

"Oh." Lachlan said, "so she wasn't lying about being Mossad."

Tony shook his head. "You have much to learn, young one." He said solemnly, "she's a Mossad Liason Officer. Of _course_ she's Mossad, Reynolds"

"Right." Lachlan said, mentally slapping himself.

* * *

They all looked up as the elevator dinged and the doors opened. Ziva stepped out of the elevator looking upset and angry. Gibbs was one step behind her with a look of worry on his face. Why would Gibbs be worried about Ziva?

Tony raised his eyebrows at McGee questioningly. _What do you make of that? _

McGee shrugged, looking equally confused. _No idea. _

Ziva sat back at her desk, dropping into her chair. Tony observed her from his desk. _What is going on?_ He hadn't realized he was staring.

"Yes, Tony?" Ziva asked, breaking him out of his reverie.

"What?"

"You were staring." Ziva sighed.

Tony grinned, snapping into playful mode. "No I wasn't, Zee-Vah." He said, "I was just wondering what Gibbs wanted."

Ziva snapped. "It is none of your business, Tony."

Tony was shocked. "Is everything okay, Ziva?" he said, switching from playfulness to concern.

Ziva sighed softly. "I am fine, Tony."

Tony forced a smile. "Well who's up for drinks then?" he said, looking around.

Lachlan smiled. "Sure. I got nothing better to do."

McGee shrugged. "Alright."

Tony looked at Ziva. She hadn't answered. "Ziva?"

She looked up thoughtfully. Lachlan was going to be there. This would be a perfect time to set some groundwork. She smiled. "Sure."

* * *

A/N: Hope you liked it. Please review if you want a fast update. Tell me what you think. Thanks.


	5. Life Truly Sucks Sometimes

Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS. Unfortunately.

Okay so this is the bar scene.

Tell me what you think.

I don't know if I like it. It seems a bit out of character, but then again, Tony is drunk and Ziva is sort of undercover. So I don't know.

Enjoy.

And please review.

* * *

Tony downed another drink and watched Ziva and Lachlan bitterly. Ever since they had walked into the bar, Ziva had flirted with Lachlan, talked to Lachlan, touched Lachlan… Tony shook his head. What did Lachlan have that Tony didn't?

"I'll have another." Tony said to the bar tender, slurring his words. The bar tender filled up another drink and handed it over the counter.

Ziva looked over to Tony from where she was sitting with Lachlan. "Are you sure, Tony? I think you have had enough."

Tony laughed bitterly. "I'm fine, Zee-Vah."

Ziva shrugged and turned back to Lachlan. Lachlan said something and she laughed. Tony liked it when she laughed; she looked so relaxed and happy. _With someone else._ Tony sighed and threw back another drink, feeling it burn all the way down his throat. He was going to have a killer headache the next day.

* * *

Ziva was regretting going to the bar. Sure, it was the perfect to time to start something with Lachlan, but she felt like she was neglecting Tony. _Forget it._ She told herself. She had to get some information out of Lachlan and getting him drunk was the best way to do it.

"I'm leaving." Tony slurred, stumbling off his bar stool and making his way to the door of the bar.

Ziva stood up immediately, grabbing his arm. "I do not think you should drive, Tony. You are very drunk."

Tony turned to face her. He saw the concern in her eyes, but he was too drunk and angry to acknowledge it. "Oh, like you even care, Ziva."

Ziva was hurt. "Of course I care, Tony. You are my partner."

Tony laughed bitterly. "Yeah, whatever." He said and shrugged her off, making his way to the door.

Ziva pulled out her phone. "I am calling you a cab."

Tony threw up his hand in acknowledgment and walked out the door.

Ziva called the cab, turned back to Lachlan and smiled. "I am going to make sure he actually gets _in_ the cab."

Lachlan put a hand to her face and kissed her softly on the lips. "Okay. I'll be right here."

Ziva was shocked for a moment, but hid it well and quickly smiled Then she walked out the door to Tony.

* * *

Tony watched Ziva through the bar window. She hung up her phone and turned around to Lachlan. Tony watched as she said something and Lachlan put his hand up to her face, caressing her cheek. Time seemed to slow as Lachlan leant into Ziva and kissed her. Tony felt sick. This man had known her only one day and he was kissing her. Tony turned around and slumped to the ground outside the bar.

"Hey." Ziva said as she walked up to him. She peered down at him. "I called you a cab. They said they would be here in fifteen minutes."

"Whatever." Tony mumbled.

Ziva cocked her head to one side. "Did I do something to upset you?"

Tony looked away from her. "What about rule twelve?"

Ziva was confused for a moment before she caught on. "You saw that, yes?"

Tony just nodded as Ziva sat down on the ground next to him. She sighed. "I assure you it is not what you think."

"What is it then, Ziva?" Tony looked into her eyes and Ziva saw genuine hurt. She didn't know why he cared so much, but she had promised Gibbs she wouldn't tell anyone and she kept her promises.

"Why does it matter, Tony?" she said softly, looking down. A piece of hair fell into her face and Tony brushed it away, looking into her eyes.

"Because I-" Tony was cut off by someone clearing their throat. He looked up and saw Lachlan. Suddenly Ziva's whole attitude changed. She stood up abruptly and walked over to Lachlan.

"Sorry. The cab is taking longer than expected." She said to Lachlan leaning into him.

He snaked an arm around her waist and whispered something in her ear, grinning. Ziva smiled and nodded, but Tony thought it looked a little forced.

"See you tomorrow, Tony." Ziva said, before being swept away by Lachlan.

Tony sat on the sidewalk. He was confused, angry and most of all his head hurt. He had come so close to telling her the truth and now she was in the arms of another man. Tony closed his eyes and hit his head on the wall, opening his eyes again as the cab pulled up. Life truly sucked sometimes.

* * *

A/N: What did you think? Please review and let me know. Please be honest. Lots of reviews mean a quick update. Thanks.


	6. Phone Call

Disclaimer: No. I still don't own NCIS.

I'm not completely happy with this chapter, but I hope you like it anyway.

Enjoy.

And please review if you want a quick update.

* * *

Ziva awoke in unfamiliar surroundings. One hand automatically reaching for her SIG, she turned to her right to see who was sleeping peacefully next to her.

"Lachlan?" she whispered, upon recognizing the man. Ziva got out of bed quickly as the events of the previous night came rushing back to her. She had gone to the bar and flirted with Lachlan, as per Gibbs' order. Tony was drunk and had gotten angry with her for some reason.

"Tony!" Ziva said loudly, immediately regretting it when Lachlan stirred. She had left Tony on the sidewalk. Ziva hit her head with her hand and got changed in record time, before opening the door noiselessly. Suddenly a cold voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Leaving, Officer David?"

Ziva turned around slowly and came face to face with Lachlan, pointing a SIG at her head. "I was planning to."

Lachlan grinned. "I don't think so."

Ziva surreptitiously pressed a button on her phone in her pocket and tried to buy some time. "What do you want?"

Lachlan turned her around roughly and pushed her against the wall, holding the gun to her head. "I'll ask the questions," he hissed.

Ziva sighed as Lachlan cuffed her hands together and pushed her from the room. "Where are we going?"

Lachlan smiled coldly. "Just for a little drive, Officer David."

"I'm guessing Mossad denied my request to-" Ziva was cut off when she felt something impact with the back of her head and she drifted into unconsciousness.

* * *

Tony awoke with a start. The first thing he was aware of was his throbbing head. The second thing he noticed was the buzzing of his phone on his nightstand. He picked it up groggily and looked at the caller ID. Ziva. What did she want?

"DiNozzo." Tony said into the phone. There was no answer. He was about to hang up, when he heard a bang and then a cold voice.

"I'll ask the questions." It hissed. Tony looked at the phone in shock.

"What?" he said confusedly. Then he heard Ziva's voice. She sounded annoyed.

"Where are we going?"

After a short pause the other voice spoke again. It sounded familiar. "Just for a little drive, Officer David."

Tony heard Ziva speak again. "I'm guessing Mossad denied my request to-" Then there was a bang and the phone went silent. Tony stared at the receiver in shock, then, without hanging up, he called Gibbs on his home phone.

"Gibbs." Gibbs sounded annoyed as he answered the phone.

"I think Ziva's been kidnapped." Tony said, trying to remain calm.

Gibbs immediately sprung into action. "What?"

"I got a call and it was Ziva and someone else talking about going for a drive and Mossad and then there was a bang and it all went really quiet." Tony said in a big rush, "do you think she's okay?"

Gibbs sighed. "Get to the office, Tony. Have you hung up the other call yet?"

Tony shook his head and then realized that Gibbs couldn't see that through the phone. "No."

"Okay, good." Gibbs said, "don't hang up. I'll have McGee trace it."

"Okay, boss." Tony said, before hanging up the phone.

Ten minutes later Tony was out the door.

* * *

A/N: What did you think? Please review and tell me. Be honest. Thanks.


	7. Location

Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS. I wish.

Enjoy.

And please review.

* * *

Gibbs burst into Jenny's office without knocking. She was sleeping on the couch and sat up quickly as the door was thrown open.

"How did you know I was in?" she asked groggily, standing up and straightening her clothes.

Gibbs examined her carefully. "Your car was in the parking lot."

"Oh," Jenny said, slipping her shoes on, "so, do what do I owe the pleasure at-" she made a show of checking her watch, "-four o'clock in the morning?"

Gibbs cut straight to the point, "Ziva's been kidnapped."

Jenny looked at Gibbs in shock, "what?" she managed to choke out.

"DiNozzo received a call twenty minutes ago. Ziva must have managed to call him while being taken. McGee is tracing it now."

Jenny put her head in her hands and sunk to the floor, "oh god. I knew something like this would happen."

Gibbs eyed Jenny carefully, "something like what?" he asked slowly and deliberately.

Jenny stood again, composing herself, "three weeks ago, Mossad ended Ziva's liason position with NCIS. Ziva resigned from Mossad and instead asked me if she could stay on as a full time NCIS special agent." Jenny began to walk towards the door, "I'm guessing they didn't accept her resignation."

Gibbs followed her out the door and back to the bullpen, a hundred scenarios playing out in his head. Mossad had the resources and the intelligence to do anything they wanted. Things were not looking good for Ziva. Gibbs' thoughts were interrupted as he reached the bullpen. Tony was sitting at his desk staring into space and McGee was tapping away at his keyboard at warp speed. Gibbs looked to the desk at the end of the bullpen. "Where's Reynolds?"

McGee looked up briefly, "he didn't answer his cell."

Tony stood up as something clicked in his mind, "he left the bar with Ziva last night, boss."

Gibbs turned to Tony, "what?"

Tony shook his head as thoughts of the previous night rushed back to him, "Ziva was flirting with him all night. She left the bar with him just after midnight."

Gibbs slammed his hand on the desk, "Damn!"

Tony sunk into his chair and tried to lighten the atmosphere, "I know. Rule twelve is well and truly busted now."

Gibbs slapped Tony over the head, "Shut up. Reynolds has her."

Tony looked up quickly; hope evident in his eyes, "how do you know?"

Gibbs looked around the room. He couldn't tell them the truth. He couldn't tell them that it was his fault that Ziva was kidnapped. Him and his stupid curiosity. Gibbs looked down. "Gut feeling," he said finally.

Jenny sighed, "we need more than that to go on."

Gibbs turned to stare at her. He was about to retort when McGee's computer beeped.

"Got a location, boss."

Gibbs didn't say anything. He simply grabbed his badge and gun and made his way to the elevator. McGee and Tony didn't need to be told to follow. Jenny stood in the bullpen alone and sighed. She hadn't seen Gibbs this angry since she first came to NCIS when he was going after Ari.

* * *

When Ziva awoke, she was sitting on a chair in the middle of a dark room. Her hands were cuffed behind the chair and she could make out some box-like shapes around the edge of the room. Ziva smiled lightly and began to work on the cuffs behind her back. Lachlan should have known that she would easily be able to get out of a pair of handcuffs. Just as she was about to get them open, the door swung open, bathing the room in bright light. Lachlan's footsteps echoed around the room as he walked in.

"Do you always treat women like this after you take them home?" Ziva asked innocently.

Lachlan stepped forward and smiled. "Not usually, but you're an exception."

Ziva cocked her head to one side in mock-thought. "Yes, why is that?"

Lachlan pulled out a gun and touched it lightly to her cheek. "Oh, I think you know."

Ziva stared at him. "My father sent you, yes?"

Lachlan began to circle her, brandishing the gun. "Something like that."

"So what happens now?"

Lachlan looked down at Ziva and shrugged indifferently. "I kill you."

Ziva sighed. "Is that really necessary?"

Lachlan grinned. "Your father seems to think so."

"My father is an arrogant pig." Ziva snarled, fiddling with the lock on the cuffs. _Just a little more. _Click. The soft noise told Ziva that she had gotten the handcuffs undone. Now she just had to wait for the right moment.

"That may be so, but I have to follow orders." Lachlan said, aiming the gun.

Ziva looked up quickly. "How exactly did you get into NCIS?"

"Connections," Lachlan said simply, "Mossad organized it all."

"Yes," Ziva said thoughtfully, "they can be very persuasive." She paused for a second before continuing, "oh, and just so you know," she said, "I was never really into you."

Lachlan narrowed his eyes and aimed his gun again, "Shut up!"

Ziva just grinned.

* * *

"This is it, boss." McGee said, as the came up to an old warehouse. Gibbs slammed on the brakes and jumped out of the car, followed closely by Tony and McGee.

Suddenly, a shot rang out. All three men ran into the building without another thought.

* * *

A/N: Muhahahaha. Please review. Thanks.


	8. Not This Time

Disclamer: I don't own NCIS or any of the characters. Yet.

Here is chapter eight.

There may not be any more updates for two weeks, but hopefully I will get one more chapter up before I go on holidays.

Enjoy.

And please review.

* * *

_"__This is it, boss." McGee said, as the came up to an old warehouse. Gibbs slammed on the brakes and jumped out of the car, followed closely by Tony and McGee. _

_Suddenly, a shot rang out. All three men ran into the building without another thought._

* * *

Tony, Gibbs and McGee burst into the warehouse and ran in separate directions to try and find Ziva. Tony ran as fast as he could around a corner and almost ran into a door, skidding along the wet floor and falling over. He put his hands on the ground to push himself up and came in contact with sticky liquid. Dreading what he might see, Tony looked down slowly and gasped. He had slipped over a pool of blood. He looked to where the blood was coming from and saw it seeping out from under the door in front of him. Without another thought, Tony threw the door open and stopped dead in his tracks.

"Uh, Gibbs?" he yelled out, not looking away from the sight in front of him. "You might want to see this."

Gibbs came running, followed closely behind by McGee. "What is it, DiNozzo?"

Tony didn't say anything. He just pointed at the ground in front of him.

Gibbs shook his head, staring at the dead body of Lachlan Reynolds. He had been shot in the stomach and blood was leaking out, pooling around his body. "She got him first."

Tony looked up suddenly, looking around the room quickly, his eyes finally settling on a small trail of blood. He walked forward without a word and followed it until he reached a wall.

Gibbs seemed to understand what Tony was doing, "look up, DiNozzo."

Tony knew what he would see before he even looked. He knew because of the light breeze on the back of his neck. He knew because Lachlan was dead. He knew because he knew Ziva. Tony looked up slowly and saw the open window. He knew Ziva was gone. A second later, he had his phone out and dialled her number.

* * *

Ziva ran, clutching her arm as blood seeped out of the wound. Branches whipped her face as her feet pounded on the ground. This could never end well for her and there was no way she was going to endanger anyone at NCIS. Ziva looked to the side and noticed a small stream. She took the opportunity to stop and clean her arm wound. It was only a flesh wound, so she washed it out and ripped a piece of cloth from her shirt off, wrapping it around her arm. No sooner had Ziva tied the knot did her phone ring, buzzing in her pocket. She pulled it out and looked at the caller id. Tony. Ziva was almost tempted to not answer at all, but she at least owed them an explanation.

"Yes?" she said into the phone, slightly out of breath.

She heard a sigh of relief on the other end of the phone. "Oh my god, Ziva. You're okay." Tony said, relief flooding into his voice, "where are you? I'll come pick you up."

Ziva closed her eyes and sighed deeply. "No. You will not pick me up, Tony."

"What do you mean? Of course I will."

Ziva opened her eyes. "I am not getting out of this, Tony," she said softly, "and I am not dragging you down with me."

Fear crept into Tony's voice as she realised what she was saying. "No, Ziva! We will get you out of this."

Ziva closed her eyes again as a tear crept down her cheek. "Not this time. I am sorry, Tony." Ziva hung up the phone and wiped away the tear, standing up resolutely. Before Tony could call back, she pulled the battery out of her phone and threw both parts of the phone into the stream, hearing the sound of it hitting the water as she ran away.

* * *

A/N: Hope you liked it. Please review.


	9. Confession

Disclaimer: Still don't own NCIS. I'm working on it.

Sorry for the wait, I was away on holidays.

Short chapter. I know, but better than nothing.

Enjoy.

And please review.

* * *

Tony stared at the phone in his hand, not quite able to comprehend what had just happened. He was only dimly aware of Gibbs' and McGee's voices, asking him what had happened. Without another thought, he dialed Ziva's number again. A smooth operator's voice echoed in his ear.

"_Your call could not be connected. Please check the number and try again." _

Tony quickly dialed the number again, hoping he had dialed wrong the first time. Again, the voice echoed in his ear.

"_Your call could not be connected. Please check the number and try again."_

Tony pulled the phone away from his ear numbly, finally hearing Gibbs' voice.

"DiNozzo! What's going on?" Gibbs demanded.

Tony threw his phone at the wall, feeling some satisfaction when the battery fell out and fell to the ground. "She's gone, boss." Tony said as he sunk down the wall to the floor. "She's gone."

Gibbs spoke slowly and deliberately. "What do you mean?"

Tony shook his head. He was suddenly angry. "She shouldn't have gone with him!" he almost shouted, "she shouldn't have gone home with Lachlan."

Gibbs suddenly felt sick. "Tony, what is going on?" he asked softly.

Tony put his head in his hands. "She answered and I offered to pick her up," he mumbled through his fingers, his voice barely a whisper. "She said she was not getting out of this and she wouldn't drag us down too," Tony looked up at Gibbs, eyes clearly showing confusion and fear. "What is she talking about?"

Gibbs looked down at his senior field agent, guilt building. How could he have sent Ziva on a secret mission? He knew there was something up with Lachlan and now Ziva was missing. "I need coffee."

Tony stood up and grabbed Gibbs by the shoulders. "No, Gibbs! You need to tell me what is going on."

Gibbs looked at Tony in shock, unable to believe what had just happened. Tony had stood up to him. Gibbs took a deep breath. Tony had a right to know. "I had some suspicions about Lachlan when he came here so I asked Ziva to get close to him." Gibbs looked down and took another breath, "three weeks ago, Mossad ended Ziva's liason position with NCIS. Ziva resigned from Mossad and instead applied to become a full-time NCIS Special Agent. We believe that Lachlan was from Mossad."

Gibbs stopped talking and waited for a response. Any response. He was greeted with silence. When he finally did look up, all he saw was the door being slammed shut as Tony left the room.

* * *

On the other side of town, a red mini cooper ran a red light and hit a power pole at full speed. The car burst into flames on impact, fire engulfing the dark-haired woman in the drivers seat.

* * *

A/N: Hope you liked it. Review and tell me what you think.


	10. Not Worth It

Insert disclaimer here

So. This is chapter 10.

I'm not really sure about it and I think it's too out of character, but decide for yourselves.

Enjoy.

And please review.

Seriously, I want to know what you think.

* * *

_On the other side of town, a red mini cooper ran a red light and hit a power pole at full speed. The car burst into flames on impact, fire engulfing the dark-haired woman in the drivers seat._

* * *

Ziva jumped from her moving car and into the bushes on the side of the road. She stood just in time to see the car smash into a power pole and burst into flames. Smiling softly, she began to walk away from the scene as people gathered around her car, calling the fire brigade and attempting to smother the flames. It really was a shame, she decided, she did like that car. Too bad it was necessary to sacrifice it to fake her death. She had found a woman in the city morgue matching her general profile and the fire would make it impossible to tell without DNA or dental records. Ziva also knew it would take at least 24 hours to get DNA confirmation. That gave her sufficient time to disappear. Ziva pulled the hood of her jumper over her head and ran to the side of the road, hailing a cab.

"Where to, miss?" the cab driver asked as she stepped into the vehicle.

Ziva replied without hesitation, "the airport."

* * *

Tony left the warehouse in a haze. How could this have happened? He knew it was wrong to completely blame Gibbs, but he needed someone to take it out on. Tony left the NCIS car and took a cab back to his apartment, locking the door and dropping onto the couch. All the time, one thing running through his head. _Ziva is missing. On the run, no less. She won't let me help her. _Tony was startled out of his thoughts by a soft buzzing in his pocket. Hoping it was Ziva, but knowing that it wouldn't be, he looked at the caller id. Gibbs. Tony gripped his phone tightly and threw it against the wall for the second time that day. Closing his eyes tightly, he held the arms of his chair. He couldn't deal with this, any of this. It was all too much. From the other side of the room, Tony's phone buzzed again. Angrily, he stood up and picked up the phone, putting it to his ear.

"What?" he said furiously.

Gibbs voice came through the phone, thick with unidentifiable emotion. "Turn on your TV, Tony."

"Why?" Tony snarled.

There was silence on the end of the line.

When Gibbs spoke again, he seemed to have dropped his defences. He spoke softly in a voice filled with raw emotion and regret. Most of all, guilt. "Just turn on the TV, Tony. Please."

Tony knew not to argue with Gibbs in that state. It was clear that this was very important. He pulled the phone away from his ear and flicked the TV on. Images of a red mini cooper wrapped around a power pole immediately filled the screen. It had obviously been on fire as smoke was billowing from the car. Tony watched in horror as the camera panned to a body being carried away on a stretcher, covered in a white sheet.

"No!" Tony said, his voice barely a whisper. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no!"

Then he released the phone from his hand and dropped to his knees, oblivious to Gibbs' shouts though the phone on the floor. As a tear crept down his face, Tony began to yell. He yelled because of Gibbs and his stupid mission. He yelled because of Lachlan. He yelled because of Mossad and their stupid policies. Tony knelt on the floor and yelled, because most of all, Ziva was gone. Ziva was dead and he had never had the chance to tell her how he felt. Then Tony broke down and lay on the floor, ignoring the phone ringing, ignoring the knocks on his front door, ignoring the world. Because it just wasn't worth it anymore.

* * *

A/N: So, what did you think? Review and tell me, because it really does help. Thanks for reading.


	11. All Alone

Disclamer: Still don't own NCIS. I'm working on it.

Thanks to all my reviewers thus far.

Hope you like this chapter. I don't particularly like it, but that's just me.

Review and tell me what you think.

Enjoy.

And please review.

* * *

"Is it her, Duck?" Gibbs asked softly, staring at the unrecognizable charred body on the table in autopsy.

Ducky didn't answer immediately. When he did, his voice was filled with sadness. "Judging by the height, build, general description, I would say it's fairly likely," he paused for a moment, taking in the sight in front of him, "but we must not give up hope yet. There are still tests to be run, DNA analysis, blood work, dental identification." Ducky looked up, "it may not be her, Jethro."

Gibbs sighed and walked to the elevator. "Do you really believe that?"

Ducky sighed, watching the elevator doors close on Gibbs. "I don't know."

* * *

Tony didn't know what had happened. All he knew that he had been on the floor crying and then McGee was there beside him, rubbing his back and whispering reassuring words.

"How did you get in?" Tony asked, his throat dry.

McGee thought for a moment, weighing up his options. He finally decided that Tony wouldn't kill him. Not in his current state anyway. "Picked the lock."

"Ha," Tony found the strength to laugh bitterly. "You don't know how to pick locks."

"Yes I do," McGee retorted. "Ziva taught…" He trailed off slowly, remembering the current situation. "Never mind."

Tony looked up, eyes red from crying. "Ziva taught you, right?"

McGee studied Tony. "Yeah."

Tony nodded thoughtfully. "She was good like that."

McGee shook his head. "It may not be her, Tony."

Tony was about to make a sharp retort, but after one look at McGee he changed his mind. "Yeah," he muttered softly. "Sure."

McGee didn't respond. The two men just sat on the floor of Tony's apartment in silence, isolated from the world.

* * *

When Gibbs burst through the door of the director's office there was no witty remark about the door being there for a reason. There was no attempt to stop him by Cynthia. He just walked straight in. The first thing he noticed was the director sitting at her desk. Only on closer inspection did he see the lines of worry and bags under her eyes. Jenny looked up at Gibbs.

"Is it…" she trailed off weakly.

Gibbs was prepared for this. "Don't know yet," he said softly. "It may take some time to get the test results."

Jenny sighed, defeated. "How did this happen?"

Gibbs swallowed, guilt threatening to consume him. "It's all my fault," he sunk into the chair in front of Jenny's desk.

Jenny shook her head dismissively. "No," she muttered. "If this is anyone's fault it is mine. I let Lachlan work here."

Gibbs looked down. "And I delivered her right to him," he sighed, before answering the questioning look in Jenny's eyes. "I knew there was something up with him. I asked her to get close to him."

Jenny looked at Gibbs intently. "Jethro," she said softly, "Mossad was after her. They would have gotten her eventually. They aren't the type to give up easily. This is not your fault."

Gibbs stood up. "I wish I could believe you," he said, before leaving the room.

Jenny watched her office door close. Ziva couldn't be dead. Could she?

* * *

Hours later, Abby's machine beeped loudly, waking her from a fitful sleep. She wiped a hand over her face, feeling her wet cheek. She realized that she had been crying and suddenly remembered everything. Abby quickly stood up and walked over to the machine, dreading what she might find. Studying the piece of paper in her hand, she allowed a small smile to creep onto her face. Abby stared at the three words on the bottom of the page. _DNA match: negative._

* * *

Tony awoke with a jolt, his phone ringing loudly in his ear. Groggily, he picked it up, glancing briefly at a sleeping McGee.

"Hello?" he asked, flipping the phone open.

"Tony! The test results came back," Abby's voice squealed through the phone.

Tony sat up, fully awake. "And?" he asked, eager to know, but dreading the possibility that she really was gone.

Abby squealed. "It's not her, Tony!" she shouted, jumping up and down. "The DNA didn't match."

Tony grinned widely, relief flooding his body. "Thank you Abby." He said, before hanging up. Below him, McGee was stirring. He looked up at Tony, eyes questioning.

Tony shook his head, never allowing his grin to drop. "It's not her."

McGee visibly relaxed. "Thank god."

Tony suddenly stopped grinning. "If that isn't her then where is she?" His mind ran through a hundred possibilities, each worse than the last.

McGee stood. "I wish I knew."

* * *

Ziva sat back in the uncomfortable aeroplane seat and closed her eyes. She was on her way to Europe. From there she would work out where to go next. Ziva smiled at the thought of her fake name, Lisa. McGee would be proud of that one. A hand clamped down firmly on her shoulder, disrupting her thoughts. She looked up quickly and was confronted by two tall men.

"Officer David." The first man said, removing his arm and taking the seat next to her. "Enjoying your flight?"

Ziva rolled her eyes, hiding her fear. "I was."

The other man took the seat on the other side of her. "Not anymore."

Ziva smiled. "So I guessed."

The first man nodded thoughtfully. "It really was a good trick though. The car crash, faking your own death."

Ziva laughed bitterly, assessing her situation. "Obviously not good enough."

"No," the other man said, "we have been tracking you for sometime now."

Ziva nodded absentmindedly, finishing her assessment of the situation. There was no way out that she could see. Cursing herself, she realized that she had walked right into this. She was 11000 meters above the ocean, stuck in the middle of two men that clearly wanted her dead and all alone.

* * *

A/N: So there you are. Thanks for reading and I hope you liked it. Please review.


	12. Ticket Out

Disclaimer: As usual.

Sorry for the long wait.

Hope this isn't too bad, but I'm not particularly happy with it.

Enjoy.

And please review.

* * *

"Excuse me, Miss," the flight attendant said, snapping Ziva out of her thoughts. "You will need to fill out this form before landing."

Ziva took the form and the pen from the lady with a small mutter of thanks. The flight attendant then handed the same form to the two men holding her hostage. Ziva looked down at the form, filling out the questions as they came along, occasionally peeking at the men beside her only to see that they were doing the same.

After ten minutes, Ziva had finished filling out the dozen or so pointless questions on the form. She was about to hand the form and the pen to one of her captors when at the last second she pocketed the pen and just handed the form over. Luckily, the man was so immersed in his own form that he didn't question her. She didn't really have a plan, but since she had no weapons on the plane, she thought it would be a good idea to keep the pen. Just in case.

* * *

Tony sat at his desk, his face a picture of sadness, confusion and betrayal.

"Hey," Gibbs said, walking past Tony's desk. "You okay?"

Tony clenched his fist. How dare Gibbs ask him that after he had handed Ziva right into the arms of Mossad. "I'm fine," Tony's reply was swift and cold, a clear indication that Gibbs was not yet forgiven. Gibbs stood, staring at his senior field agent for a moment before he sighed inwardly and sat at his desk. Suddenly Tony got to his feet and stood in front of Gibbs' desk.

"Actually _Boss_," Tony snarled, drawing out the title sarcastically. "I'm not fine and it's all because of you, your stupid mission and your even stupider rules."

"Tony…" Gibbs tried to cut in, but Tony was only just beginning.

"Ziva is missing. Missing! She is gone god freakin' knows where and oh yeah… She has the whole of Mossad after her. Sounds like a great position to be in, doesn't it _Boss?_" Tony said, pacing around and making exaggerated hand movements. "And do you want to take a wild guess who put her there?"

Gibbs shrugged, helplessly taking the beating of Tony's harsh words. "Me."

"That's right," Tony muttered disgustedly and walked away, leaving Gibbs feeling guiltier than ever.

* * *

Ziva made her way off the plane, painfully aware of the two men subtly guiding her. The hand pushing the small of her back was pissing her off now more than ever. She shrugged uncomfortably, trying to gain a little bit of freedom.

"Do you have to hold onto me like that? I am perfectly capable of walking by myself," she hissed angrily.

The man beside her laughed. "He warned us you would be like this."

Ziva looked around in confusion. "Who?"

"All in good time, officer," the man guiding her whispered in her ear. "All in good time."

Ziva sighed and clenched her fists as they made their way around the airport. She didn't miss the looks exchanged between the men guiding her and several other people in the airport that she could only assume to be other officers. She also noticed them start to walk faster. All of a sudden, they changed direction swiftly and walked out of the airport.

"What are we doing? I would have thought you would be taking me to Tel Aviv." Ziva asked confusedly.

The men ignored her and pushed her a little more urgently as they made their way to a car parked inconspicuously in the corner of the parking lot.

"What are you do-" Ziva tried again before she was cut off.

"Shhh…" the man behind her said, pushing her into the car. "Get in. Quickly."

Ziva complied, her confusion becoming more apparent. As soon as they got in the car, the driver started it and they left the airport at full speed, disregarding all road rules.

"Turn off here. We need to lose them. They will not be far behind." The man in the passenger seat said.

Ziva shook her head and turned to the man sitting next to her. "Who are you? What is going on? Where are you taking me? Who are we trying to lose?"

"Do not ask too many questions, Officer David. For now you may know me as Adin. This," Adin gestured to the man in the passenger seat, "is Yishar, and our driver here is Tamir." The driver waved his hand up quickly in acknowledgement.

Ziva looked around at the three men. "And what exactly is going on?"

Yishar turned slightly in his seat. "We cannot tell you much until we get to the safe house, but let us just say that we are your ticket out of this."

* * *

A/N: So... What did you think? Please review and tell me. I alse have a couple of new stories so check them out.


	13. Between Friends

Disclaimer: Still don't own NCIS... etc...ect...

Enjoy.

And please review.

* * *

After they had been driving for just over an hour in complete silence, Ziva's patience was wearing thin.

"Will you tell me what is going on now?" she asked, breaking the silence.

Adin didn't look at her. "We are almost there."

Ziva sighed and sat back in her chair, crossing her arms. "Fine," she muttered. Out of the corner of her eye, she swore that she could see Adin smile slightly.

Sure enough, after about a minute, they took a sharp turnoff and continued down a dirt road until a small house came into sight. It was a mess to say the least. The windows were all smashed and the roof was falling apart. Ziva even noticed that the house was tilted slightly. The car pulled up behind the house and Adin beckoned to Ziva to get out. They walked into the house and sat down around a small table.

"Are you going to tell me what is going on now?" she asked once they were all settled.

Yishar clasped his hands on the table in front of him smiled at the two other men as if there was some kind of private joke. "She is just as impatient as he said she would be."

Adin and Tamir laughed softly, only serving to aggravate Ziva further. "Who said I would be impatient? Why did you not take me to Tel Aviv? Who were we running from?"

Adin thought for a moment. "You are not going to Tel Aviv," he said finally. "We were running from Mossad."

Ziva's looked between the three men in confusion. "I thought _you_ were Mossad."

"We are," Tamir said simply. "But we have been given orders to save you."

"Orders?" Ziva muttered. "From who?"

"That is not for you to know," Yishar said in a tone that Ziva didn't dare defy. "All that matters is that we have lost Mossad's trail for now. Soon you will be on your own."

"Not completely on your own," Adin amended quickly. "We will supply you with the appropriate documents."

Ziva shook her head in confusion. "You are risking your life for me. You do not even know who I am."

Tamir shrugged and kept his face carefully neutral. "You have friends in very high places Officer David."

* * *

Gibbs was working on his boat when Tony arrived at his house later that night.

"It's almost done," Tony stated, breaking Gibbs out of his reverie.

Gibbs nodded. "Yeah," he said, for lack of anything better to say. After a moment of awkward silence, Gibbs spoke again, only to be cut off by Tony. "Tony, I-"

"I thought about what happened, Gibbs, and I think I may have over-reacted."

Gibbs shook his head firmly and took a sip of his coffee. "I would have reacted in exactly the same way."

"And you would have been just as wrong."

Gibbs still refused to accept this from Tony. "Tony, I won't accept what you are say until I can get something off my chest," he took a breath. "I'm sorry. I know this is all my fault and I can't do anything now, but I am truly sorry, Tony."

Tony smiled slightly. "I thought apologizing was a sign of weakness."

Gibbs looked Tony squarely in the eye. "Not between friends."

* * *

A/N: What did you think? Please review and tell me.


	14. Promises And Hope

Disclaimer: Still don't own..

Sorry for the long wait.

This is short and bad, but I needed to do it to set up the next bit.

I'm actually getting a little sick of this fic, but I will keep updating if I get enough reviews.

I do have an ending planned out, I'm just getting bored with it.

So if you want me to continue just review. Otherwise I'll stop.

Enjoy.

And please review.

* * *

"_You have friends in very high places Officer David."_

Ziva looked between the three men in genuine confusion. She acknowledged that she had many contacts, but none of them were powerful enough to cause a Mossad Officer to disobey a direct order. "Who?"

Tamir sighed. "Like we said, that is not for you to know. You may or may not find out later, but for now all that matters is getting you out safely."

Reluctantly, Ziva didn't push the matter any further. These men were trying to save her and although she hated that she was relying on them, she felt that she really had no other choice. "Okay, so what now?"

Tamir nodded to Yishar who stood up and walked over to the corner of the room, bringing back a suitcase. He opened it and pulled out a large envelope, before setting the suitcase on the ground. "These are all the appropriate documents. Passport, birth certificate, and so on…" he said, pulling out the documents and setting them on the table in front of Ziva. "You will now be known as Nava Cohen."

"Nava," Ziva spoke the name out loud, testing it out. This was all getting a little ridiculous. She couldn't believe that just a few days ago everything was normal. Now, well, she could be dead at any moment.

* * *

Tony and Gibbs arrived at NCIS to find McGee already seated at his desk. McGee looked up as they walked into the bullpen. "I'm already running tabs on her, boss."

Gibbs nodded and turned to Tony. "We're going to find her."

Tony looked Gibbs in the eye and smiled slightly. "I'll hold you to that, boss."

* * *

Ziva was leafing through the documents on the table when Adin received a call. From where she sat, she could hear parts of the conversation.

"Yes? Okay…of course…she is right here…" there was a brief pause and Adin replied uncertainly. "But you said…I know, but…" Adin sighed and caved. "yes, of course we will…no problem…shalom."

Adin closed the phone and deflated slightly. He turned around and sat back down at the table. "It seems you are not leaving after all," he said.

"So you _are_ going to kill me then." Ziva said. It was more of a statement than a question.

Adin shook his head. "No. You will just be living here with us from now on."

Ziva's heart sank. "What?"

"Apparently we are to stay here with you."

"Will I ever be able to leave?" Ziva asked, keeping her voice carefully level.

Adin replied in the same even tone. "I hope so, Officer David."

* * *

A/N: So, you want me to continue? Review if you do. Thanks for reading. And check out some of my other fics.


	15. Thin Air

Disclaimer: As usual.

I know this is short, but I swear it's going somewhere.

Bear with me. Also, Ziva's father is referred to as 'director' because that's what they called him in 'Shalom'.

Review if you want more.

Enjoy.

And please review.

* * *

6 months later

The knife left Ziva's hand and lodged itself into the wall across the room with dead accuracy. Ziva walked over to the wall and pulled the knife out roughly, before moving back to where she was standing before and throwing it again. She repeated this process over and over, her concentration never wavering. She had always felt a certain calm when she did this, a feeling that she was completely in control.

"Ziva?" Tamir's voice shattered her thoughts.

Ziva threw the knife one more time and turned to the doorway. "Yes?"

Tamir walked past Ziva and pulled the knife out of the wall, handing it back to her.

"Toda," Ziva said, putting her knife away. She looked back up at Tamir, his eyes reflecting apprehension and worry. "Is there something wrong?"

Tamir sighed. "Your father has requested to see you, Ziva."

"What?" Ziva blanched, unable to believe what had just been said. She had not had any contact with her father since before she left America.

Tamir sighed again. "I know this is unexpected, Ziva, but you have no choice. There is a car out front to take you to him."

Ziva shook her head. What more could her father take away from her? She had only just come to terms with her life as it currently stood, and she trusted Tamir and Adin implicitly. Yishar had been called away from the safe house after only two months of living with them. For the first time since Ziva had left America, Ziva was finally beginning to enjoy life again. Tamir and Adin cared about her and although Ziva didn't care for them as much as she had with the team at NCIS, she still felt very close to them. "Fine," she muttered, before smiling slightly, "but I am taking my weapons."

Tamir laughed. "Of course you are."

* * *

Back at NCIS, the team had not given up searching for Ziva, but merely put it to the side. For six months, they had searched every database, every record available, and every contact at their disposal. It was impossible.

_She had just disappeared into thin air…_

* * *

The drive was excruciatingly slow, but Ziva didn't say a word. Adin stayed at the safe house to wait for Ziva's return, but Tamir had elected to accompany her. He put a hand on her arm to show that he was there for her and she smiled appreciatively back at him.

After about an hour, the car pulled up outside a large house and the driver opened the door for her to step out. The walked up to the front door and he opened it, beckoning for Ziva and Tamir to let follow him in.

"I will inform the director that you are here," he said and walked down a corridor that extended off to the right.

Tamir turned to Ziva. "You okay?"

"I am fine, Tamir," Ziva smiled. "It is nothing I cannot handle."

Tamir just put a hand on her shoulder and looked into her eyes. "You do not have to be invincible all the time, Ziva."

Ziva just nodded before they were interrupted by the driver's return to the room. He cleared his throat loudly. "The director will see you now."

* * *

A/N: Theories? Review if you want more.

* * *


	16. Fake Mission

Disclaimer: As usual.

Enjoy.

And please review.

* * *

_Tamir turned to Ziva. "You okay?" _

"_I am fine, Tamir," Ziva smiled. "It is nothing I cannot handle." _

_Tamir just put a hand on her shoulder and looked into her eyes. "You do not have to be invincible all the time, Ziva." _

_Ziva just nodded before they were interrupted by the driver's return to the room. He cleared his throat loudly. "The director will see you now."_

* * *

Ziva nodded and she and Tamir followed the driver down the corridor until the reached a door. The driver looked at Tamir.

"You cannot go in there."

A flash of unidentifiable emotion flickered in Tamir's eyes, but disappeared just as quickly as it had come. Tamir shook his head. "I am not leaving Ziva."

The driver stood his ground. "The director only requested Officer David's presence. I am sorry, but you cannot go in there."

Tamir was about to retort when he was interrupted by a deep voice, full of authority.

"It is okay, Chaim," Director David said to his driver. "You are dismissed."

Chaim nodded and left quickly without question. "Of course."

Director David turned towards Ziva and Tamir. "Come in. We have a lot to discuss."

Ziva stiffened slightly and walked into the room, followed by Tamir. There was a large, wooden desk with two chairs in front of it. Director David sat behind the desk and gestured to the other chairs. "You are welcome to sit."

Ziva shut the door behind her and turned to face her father. "I am fine standing, _Director_," she put extra emphasis on 'director', shredding any personal ties that may have existed.

Director David shrugged without care. "As you wish."

There was a moment of silence where the two just stared at each other, in an attempt to gauge their emotions. Tamir just stood back, watching their interactions.

Suddenly, Ziva whirled around to face Tamir. "_He_ was the one that told you to save me?" she said, her voice dangerously low.

Tamir nodded guiltily. "Yes."

"That makes no sense," Ziva said, glaring at Tamir once more before turning back to her father. "Why didn't you just call off the search?"

Director David shrugged. "I am the director. I have a responsibility," he said, "I cannot be seen to be favouring anyone, especially my own daughter. That is why I called the search on you in the first place."

"Oh, so that is what you were doing?" Ziva said sarcastically. "Favouring me?"

"Not at all," The director shook his head. "You are one of the best Officer's we have. It was in Mossad's best interests to keep you alive," he stated. "Until I could bring you back into the field."

"And how did you plan on doing that?" Ziva scoffed. "Tell everyone you made a mistake? That it was all a misunderstanding and that they _don't_ have to kill me anymore?" she said, sarcasm lacing her voice.

"In a manner of speaking," the director said, shuffling through a pile of folders on his desk. He settled on one and pulled out a few sheets of paper. "As far as anyone will know, Ziva, for the past six months you have been on a deep undercover mission for Mossad."

Ziva laughed bitterly, taking the papers from him and skimming over the top one. The entire fake 'mission' had been thought out. Location, target, Intel and cover. Every detail was listed and at the bottom was the official seal and the Director's signature. She turned the page and found a report of the mission, supposedly written by her, complete with forged signature at the bottom. Ziva dropped the papers back on her father's desk. "So now you can just send me back to work as if nothing happened?"

"That is the plan," Director David said simply.

Ziva shook her head in disbelief and was about to speak when she heard the tell tale cocking of a gun. She and the director looked over to Tamir, who they had forgotten was even there.

Tamir was holding his gun steadily aimed at Director David's head.

* * *

A/N: What did you think? Theories? Review and tell me. Let me know if you want me to continue with this.


	17. Something Right

Disclaimer: Blah.

Oh. My. God.

It's a miracle. I'm finally updating. Anyway, sorry for the wait.

Well I suppose this is AU-ish now, but oh well.

Enjoy.

And please review.

* * *

_Ziva dropped the papers back on her father's desk. "So now you can just send me back to work as if nothing happened?"_

"_That is the plan," Director David said simply._

_Ziva shook her head in disbelief and was about to speak when she heard the tell tale cocking of a gun. She and the director looked over to Tamir, who they had forgotten was even there._

_Tamir was holding his gun steadily aimed at Director David's head._

* * *

"Tamir, what-" Ziva began, but was cut off.

"I am sorry for this, Ziva. Despite the fact that you were all part of my cover, I actually did like you."

"Cover?" Ziva asked cautiously, trying to get a grasp of what was going on.

Tamir nodded slightly, his gun never wavering from its target. "I did not think it would be this easy, taking out the director of Mossad."

Ziva nodded in realisation, hiding her surprise. "Who hired you?" she asked, her voice carefully level.

"That does not matter, Ziva," he said, never removing his gaze from the director. His voice suddenly became dangerously low as he applied pressure to the trigger of his gun. "Goodbye, David."

The next few seconds moved very quickly. Ziva instinctively whipped her gun out and pulled the trigger before Tamir even had the chance to blink.

She and her father watched as Tamir's body fell to the ground with a thud and bled out over the carpet.

After a minute or so of silence, the director finally spoke. "Why?"

Ziva snapped out of her trance and turned away from Tamir. "Excuse me?"

"Why did you kill him? Why not let him just shoot me?" he clarified.

Ziva took a deep breath in and re-holstered her gun. "He was not who I thought he was," she breathed out and shook her head. "He was also an idiot. I can not believe he actually thought he would be able to execute such a badly thought out plan."

Director David was still perplexed. "He was not who you thought he was?" he said, looking at the body on the floor of his office. "That is why you shot him?"

"Yes," Ziva said simply. "You, on the other hand are exactly what I think you are. At least you make no attempts to lie about what you are."

"And what is that?"

Ziva laughed bitterly. "We both know what that is."

Director David raised his eyebrows, but said nothing. Instead, he snapped straight back into director mode. "Well at least I am convinced you are fit to work again," he said.

"I just killed a man I have lived with for six months to save your life," Ziva gestured to Tamir pointedly, "and you still expect me to return to work without question? Just go back under your command?"

"It is your job, Ziva. You do not have a choice."

Ziva glared at her father. "Let me go back to America as liaison officer. I will still be your _loyal_ slave, and I will be where I _want_ to be. We will both get what we wish."

Director David sighed resignedly. "I do not wish for you to be my slave, Ziva. I just do not want to waste your talent."

Ziva scoffed. "You could have fooled me," she said, "and anyway, I would not be wasting talent in America. I was good at what I did."

"I did not raise you to investigate crime scenes, Ziva."

"No," Ziva said angrily. "No, you raised me to kill," she paused for a moment. "Do you not feel any remorse?" she looked at her father expectantly.

After a moment or two, Director David shrugged. "What do you expect me to say to that, Ziva?"

Ziva shook her head. "Forget it," she said. "I expect to receive a call later this week informing me that I will be returning to America as liaison officer… and call the man-hunt off," she said after a moment's thought.

Director David shrugged. "We will see, Ziva."

Ziva spared one last look at her father before she turned and opened the door to leave. "And clean up that mess," she called over her shoulder, gesturing vaguely in Tamir's direction, slamming the door after her.

The director stared at the closed door for a minute after Ziva left and finally dropped his tough guy act. Despite what he had said, all he ever wanted was the best for his daughter. He breathed out deeply and then picked up his phone. "Director Shepard, NCIS," he said to the operator.

There was a dial tone and then Jenny picked up. "Shepard."

"Ah, Director," David said, leaning back in his chair and running a hand through his rapidly thinning hair. He knew that he owed Ziva this at least. He paused for a moment, wondering how to phrase this. "I have good news," he said finally.

Maybe he was finally doing something right.

* * *

A/N: Review!


	18. Her Name Is Ziva

Disclaimer: Blah.

Short, but it needs to be.

Enjoy.

And please review.

* * *

Tony leant back in his chair and threw his apple up in the air, catching it in one hand and throwing it up again.

"Don't you have _any_ work to do, Tony?"

Tony didn't look at McGee and instead continued to throw the apple up in the air, alternating hands. "Yep."

"You really should be doing it."

Tony leant sideways to catch the apple, which had gone off track, before returning to his former position. "I know."

McGee sighed. "Well?"

"Well what?"

"Are you going to do your work, Tony?" McGee almost yelled, frustration getting the better of him.

Tony stopped throwing the apple and cocked his to one side in mock thought. "Um… nope," he said decidedly and continued to throw the apple up.

McGee looked back to his computer resignedly. "You can't keep doing this, Tony?"

"Doing what?"

"Putting everything on hold for her."

Tony caught the apple and stood up suddenly, pushing his chair in roughly. He walked over to McGee's desk and hit both hands down on the surface, causing McGee to jump. "Excuse me?"

McGee began to back peddle. "I, um, I just meant that, you know…"

"Spit it out, McGee," Tony said angrily, "I'm just _so_ anxious to hear it."

"Well, Tony," McGee said, trying to look anywhere away from Tony's accusing eyes. "It just seems like you aren't doing anything anymore because she's gone. You never come out for drinks, you put work off until that very last minute and last week you almost got shot because you _forgot_ that there was more than one armed suspect in that caravan. It just seems like you're putting your life on hold for her."

"Ooh, nice investigative skills there, McGoogle," Tony said sarcastically, stepping away from McGee's desk. "And what about you? You won't even say her name."

McGee looked down. "I don't know what you are talking about, Tony."

"Yeah, right," Tony scoffed. "Do you even remember it? It's Ziva. Her name is _Ziva_."

McGee cringed slightly. "Stop, Tony."

Tony nodded pointedly. "That's right, Probie. It's not so nice to have someone analyzing you all the time, now is it? Got some good material for your new book?" he laughed bitterly. "Oh, but wait, I remember now… You haven't written a word since she left."

McGee looked up quickly. "How do you know that?"

"I'm an investigator. It's what I do," Tony said softly and walked back to his desk without another look at McGee. He sat down and again began throwing the apple up in the air.

McGee sighed sadly. "I'm sorry, Tony. I didn't mean-"

Tony cut him off. "Yeah, I know," he said softly, not ceasing throwing the apple.

They sat for another ten minutes in awkward silence, before Gibbs walked in, coffee in hand as always. Without a word he sat down at his desk, ignoring the tense atmosphere. The only sounds in the bullpen were the rhythmic sound of Tony throwing the apple up in the air, McGee tapping at his keyboard at warp speed, and Gibbs drinking his coffee.

They all looked up when Jenny walked past, the biggest smile on her face that they had seen in months.

The elevator dinged.

Jenny leant forward and greeted the person with a kiss to the cheek. "Shalom."

McGee stopped typing.

Gibbs froze, coffee halfway to his mouth.

Tony missed the apple and it landed square on his head, but he didn't even flinch.

They all looked up to see Ziva and Jenny walking towards them.

They stopped when they reached the entrance of the bullpen and Jenny turned towards Ziva.

"We missed you."

* * *

A/N: Thoughts? Review, review, review.


	19. Shalom

Disclaimer: No, I do not own NCIS. Nor do I own the characters. Or the actors that play the characters. Etc. Etc.

Short, but necessary.

Anyway, on wiht the story.

Enjoy.

And please review.

* * *

_The elevator dinged._

_Jenny leant forward and greeted the person with a kiss to the cheek. "Shalom."_

_McGee stopped typing._

_Gibbs froze, coffee halfway to his mouth._

_Tony missed the apple and it landed square on his head, but he didn't even flinch._

_They all looked up to see Ziva and Jenny walking towards them._

_They stopped when they reached the entrance of the bullpen and Jenny turned towards Ziva._

"_We missed you."_

Ziva smiled at Jenny and turned towards Tony, McGee and Gibbs. All of their faces wore exactly the same surprised expression.

"Shalom," Ziva brought her hand up in a half wave.

For a moment there was silence, before Abby waltzed into the bullpen, walking straight past Ziva and Jenny. "Hey guys. I got the analysis of the saliva that you…" she trailed off and furrowed her brow, turning around slowly. She stared at Ziva for a moment, before her face broke out into a huge smile and she squealed. "I knew it! I knew it! I knew it!" she ran up to Ziva and pulled her into a hug. "I knew you were coming back! No one believed me, but I knew you would be back! What happened? Where were you? How have you been? Are you okay?" Abby ran out of breath and pulled away from Ziva. "Well?"

Ziva swallowed. "I was in Europe," was all she said.

Abby sensed that it was a touchy subject and nodded, turning to the others. "Why didn't you tell me she was here?" she scolded them.

Gibbs found his voice. "We only just found out ourselves, Abs," he stood and walked over to Ziva, giving her a short hug, before pulling away and looking her squarely in the eyes. "What the hell happened, Ziva?"

"Short version or long version?"

"Short," Gibbs said decisively. "For now."

"I hid out in Europe with two men. Just recently I was called to see my father and one of the men I had been staying with, Tamir, tried to kill my father. I shot Tamir and my father gave me my position back here."

McGee stood and walked over to Ziva. "Wow, _really_ short version."

"That is all the main points. The rest is not very interesting."

McGee smiled and ignored her obvious diversion of the subject, pulling her into a hug. "Well I'm glad you're back."

Ziva smiled. "Me too."

Everyone turned to look at Tony, who had not moved. He was staring at Ziva with no emotion crossing his features.

"Tony?" Ziva ventured, almost nervously.

Tony closed his eyes and pushed his chair out from his desk.

Without a word he walked out of the bullpen, just brushing Ziva's shoulder, and into the elevator.

McGee looked at Ziva and forced a smile. "Ziva, it-"

Ziva put her hand up to stop McGee mid-sentence, turning to Jenny. "Shall we settle that paperwork?"

Jenny threw an uncertain look to Gibbs, wondering what had just transpired, before looking back to Ziva. "Sure," was all she said, beckoning for Ziva to follow her up to her office.

Gibbs watched their retreating figures, then looked at the elevator, sighing. He turned to McGee and Abby, who were looking at him expectantly. "Get back to work," he said shortly, returning to his own desk and taking a long sip of his coffee.

Is this what it was really going to be like?

* * *

A/N: Seriously, review if you want more.


	20. In The Dark

Yay, last chapter. FINALLY.

So sorry for the wait! My computer died and I only just got internet up again.

Thanks to all who have read. Please review and tell me what you thought.

Thanks.

And please review.

* * *

Ziva walked down the stairs from the director's office and found her eyes immediately traveled to Tony's desk. Empty. She let out a sigh as she stepped into the bullpen, chagrined to find Abby pull her into a hug again.

"Abby," she said, trying to pry her off, "you already hugged me."

"I know," Abby muttered into her shoulder. "I'm just making sure you're still here."

Ziva finally pulled away and wrung her hands out nervously. "Where is Tony?"

Gibbs, Abby, and McGee all looked up at her. Gibbs was the one to answer.

"Not here."

Ziva nodded, her mind whirring. Then she turned and walked in the direction of the bathrooms. She stopped, however, when she overheard someone talking.

"…Damn elevator not working again…"

Ziva looked around to see the guy turn and take the stairs. She quickly turned back around and pressed the elevator call button. Five minutes later, the doors finally opened, revealing a rather disheveled Tony. Ziva looked down at his bruised hands significantly.

"Lose a fight with the elevator?" she asked.

Tony didn't say anything, just tried to pass her. Ziva put her hand out, trapping him.

"My turn," she said, pushing him into the elevator and pressing the close door button.

"Is there something you want?" Tony asked rudely, not meeting her eyes.

Ziva flicked the elevator switch, halting it. "We need to talk."

"About?"

Ziva laughed bitterly. "I'm back, Tony. _Back!_ Is there nothing you want to discuss?"

Tony was silent, still studying the floor.

Ziva piped up again. "What is it? What did I do?" she ran her hands through her hair in frustration. "Do you not want me back?"

Tony snapped his head up and pushed Ziva up against the elevator wall roughly. He fixed her with a glare. "Do I want you back? Of _course_ I want you _back_!" he spat. "I've wanted you back for six months! How can you not _see_ that?!"

Ziva opened her mouth to speak, but Tony continued before she could get a word in.

"You just disappear! You don't ask for help. Your phone is disabled. What the _hell_ am I supposed to think?"

"You…"

"And then you pull that stunt with the bloody car accident! How the hell did you even get a body?"

"I…"

"You know what? Don't answer that. I'm sure with all your _connections_…" he said the word with as much malice as he could muster up, "…that would be no problem at all."

"Well…"

"And then you are just gone. And Mossad is stonewalling us and McGee can't find you on any radar. Abby couldn't even locate you, goddamn it!"

Tony stopped to take a breath and looked into her eyes, becoming increasingly aware of how close they were. He could feel her hot breath on his cheek. "And I missed you," he said softly, not looking away.

Ziva sucked in a breath. "You done?"

Tony said nothing. And then his lips were on hers. And all that mattered was the present.

Because for the first time in six months, they felt okay again.

Finally.

* * *

Outside the elevator, Abby and McGee stood staring at the closed doors.

"What do you think they are doing in there?" Abby ventured.

McGee tipped his head to the side in wonder. Then he shook his head. "I don't think I really want to know."

They both continued to stare at the elevator in silence.

"Yeah me neither."

McGee broke out of his semi-trance. "Um, well I have to go do…" he trailed off, trying to formulate an excuse to leave.

Abby just nodded, not waiting for him to speak again. "Yeah, me too."

They looked at the elevator and then to each other, before waling off awkwardly.

Sometimes you were best kept in the dark.

* * *

A/N: Well it's over. Review and tell me what you thought. I love the feedback. Even to tell me it sucked. I need to know. Thanks for reading.


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